Friday, August 31, 2012

The hotel we stayed at in Kending had a great view on the sea. But it also had a modern black & white, simple zen design. I thought the hallway in front of our room would be a great place for a morning red tea Cha Xi. The flowery Cha Bu (fabric) and the tea add color and life to this cool space.

A Cha Xi is a mandala. It represents a united world, but it's made up of diverse elements that interact to fit harmoniously with each other. In this Cha Xi, for instance, the black Jianyang bowl and the white tea cups miror their surroundings. The white porcelain gaiwan doesn't just match the cups, but it is a fitting teaware to brew red tea without loosing any of its flavors. The ancient Anping jar protects and enhances the dry leaves...

In many ways, a Cha Xi is like a symbol of ancient, classic China and how it prospered.

In the West, the Christian faith has been central to its history. In China, though, many different concepts have appeared and coexisted:
- rites or ceremonies based on the seasons, the stars. They should ensure the harmony between Heaven and Earth.
- Confucius' respect for the classics and the elders,
- Taoism, with its action through non-action,
- Chan (zen), the Chinese version of Buddhism.

Syncretism, the coexistence of these different religions is obvious in most temples in China. So, while the power was centralized by an emperor and a bureaucracy of scholars selected through exams, there was no rigid ideology. The emperors would favor different schools of thought depending on the situation and the skills of the persons. One idea held everything together: Harmony. But harmony doesn't mean that everything is peaceful and that there are no rivalries or frictions. Harmony is finding an equilibrium that takes into account the conflicting energies and channels them into a single purpose (the Emperor, a united China).

This search for balance and harmony is also found in the importance of Feng Shui in Chinese architecture. There's also calligraphy, the art of writing (traditional) Chinese characters in an harmonious, lively way. Chinese medicine, the Yin and Yang or the 5 elements... all center on harmony.

China thrived economically, culturally and technologically in the Tang and Sung eras. Potters innovated to make celadon wares similar to jade, or black bowls with amazing glazing variations. Different kilns competed to fulfill the wishes of the emperor and his highly educated mandarins. Tributes to the emperor were selected for their perfection.

Confident in the strong foundations of their Chinese culture, this elite was open to new ideas and techniques from the outside. Like a Cha Xi, they mixed the old and the new, the Chinese and the foreign. But they did this always considering balance and efficiency.

In a Cha Xi, we select not just the best tea and tea ware. We consider which tea would be the best fit for the particular moment. And then, which combination of water/kettle/teapot/teacup would bring out the qualities of these leaves in an harmonious way. And only then do we think about the aesthetic details that will carry a symbolic message. Art always had a (political) purpose for the Chinese emperor. The art of the Cha Xi aims at uniting men and women around the many joys of a cup of tea. And bring harmony to the world!

Greyish green. This color is explained by the salt from the ocean that is brought by strong winds. Indeed, we can see below how close the plantation is to the Pacific.

The conditions down here are very different from anywhere else in Taiwan. The elevation is very low (less than 100 meters above sea level). The temperatures remain hot almost all year long. And this means that the sun shines especially strong on these tea trees.

How do they survive? The researchers at the Taiwan Research and Extension Station found out that the roots of the old trees extend much deeper than elsewhere in Taiwan. The various and unidentified Wuyi tea bushes that were brought here 4/5 (tea farmer) generations ago have proved to be very adaptable.

But human effort and ingenuity also explains the resistance of this plantation. The farmers made sure that there would be high and strong trees around the tea plantation. These big trees act like a protecting barrier. And instead of using herbicides or fertilizers, we can see that the farmer puts dead wood between the rows of tea bushes. This prevents other plants from growing and provides food for the trees as they decompose.

The plantation hosts many different kinds of tea trees. This one, above, for instance, with its very large leaves really resembles more a bush in Wuyi than in Nantou!

The brew has a dark yellow color. This reflects a concentration of flavors.

The dry fragrance smells particularly sundried. There is no hint of freshness here! However, once brewed, the tea releases very fruity and sunny aromas. The notes are rather low and deep, though, and very different from a high mountain Oolong.

The taste is almost full body. What surprises most is a slight salty/soury taste that feels a little bit like the aftertaste of salty sea water in the mouth. Overall, there are no displeasing aromas and the brew feels natural and powerful.

The open leaves show their diverse tree origins and a medium oxidation level.

Such oxidation level makes them good candidates for a more thorough roasting. And that's why I also brought some medium roasted leaves.

This view of the Pacific shows the ocean that faces the Gankou Oolong tea plantation. Sun and sea characterize pretty well this very unique Oolong tea!